31 December 2011

the first set of build a quilt workshop classes went over really well.so well, in fact, that i've been gearing up & making plans for a new class.:)

in case you missed out on the first classes, here's a little refresher. . .the idea is to host online workshops in a quilt along style atmosphere.we'll be using a private flickr group as our platform.and everyone loves taking classes with their friends, right?!?!

class will start mid january.once your class fee is paid, you'll be invited to join our private flickr group.and that's when the fun starts.{providing we all like this concept, more classes will be added.}

cascade class-in this class we will build a modern patchwork quilt.this class is perfect for beginners through advanced quilters.

20 December 2011

the making part:
brown sausage; drain.
mix all ingredients together.
pour in frozen pie crust.
optional: sprinkle crushed parsley flakes on top.
bake 350' for 30 minutes or until firm & golden brown. ALWAYS double this recipe because it's gone in a blink of an eye.
i mean, you might as well use the whole pkg of sausage.
PLUS the frozen pie crust package already contains 2 crusts.
if you like a little kick to your breakfast, grandmomma always did 1/2 pkg mild sausage with 1/2 pkg hot sausage.
BUT if you're the type that likes a little sweetness, the maple sausage is pretty good too.

this is perfect for company.
grandmomma served it with fresh fruit, like cantaloupe.
i can personally just stand over it and eat straight from the pie plate with a fork.
hope y'all enjoy.

oh and one more thing...
not all sausages are created equal.
i'm a huge jimmy dean advocate.
i believe that jimmy dean is the BEST sausage in the world & other sausages just aren't welcomed in my house.
so, please, use jimmy dean if you make this recipe.
*wink*

19 December 2011

they make the perfect gift for teachers, hubby's coworker's wives or even the bachelor best friend who has been known to take over the one that you made for yourself.

i'd love to know what yall are crafting for christmas gifts this year.please leave a link of what you're gifting or working on.either a link showing the finished product or the pattern/tutorial that you are using.

i can't wait to sit down with a nice cup of hot chocolate and read through yall's giftmas list.and maybe i'll even pick a winner or two :)

♥ rachel

*note: it may take a few minutes for your link to appear. this is normal.*

13 December 2011

i don't know about yall, but i do enjoy looking at pretty stacks of fabric.*sigh*

i think that different colors & prints stimulate my creative side in different ways.how about yall?!?!

i have never, ever been a fan of purple - but pat bravo seems to have recently changed that.don't yall just love these colors?!?!i know i do.

and look at this citrusy mix.again, not a normal rachelish color palette, but me likey.me likey alot.

i honestly like that pat bravo has a way of making me step outside of my norm.i love how vibrant & saturated her fabrics read.and i love the way they stimluate my creative side.

remember my market loot?!?!it seems that yall just loved my art gallery fabrics.and as luck would have it, the good peeps over at art gallery thought it would be nice to share some of their yummy fabrics with yall :)

so up for grabs...2 bundles - each has 10 half yard cuts of assorted art gallery fabrics!!!note: there will be two seperate winners.

to enter:simply "like" pat bravo on facebook.AND please leave a comment telling me which bundle you would pick, purple or citrus.{winners will be announced on friday.}

08 December 2011

fact: i've always been afraid to sew with oilcloth.so much so that i've never even purchased oilcloth or laminated fabrics.

while at market, i just happened to come across a book signing with miss kelly mccants.she was promoting her book sewing with oilcloth.needless to say, i was intrigued, so i stuck around.

kelly talked a little bit about oilcloth and her book.she even handed out little samples of oilcloth so we could make a small project from the book.note: i totally recommend her book.

well i finally got the courage to play with my oilcloth :)obviously this was a smaller project, but sometimes a small project is all it takes.btw: i think i see some cute oilcloth banners in my future.

06 December 2011

so what happened to november?!?!seriously.

sorry i was awol, but we had a whole lot going on over here.everyone in the griffith house was sick at least twice. our daughter kept coming home with head lice thanks to her school bff.patterns were printed with a major error.oh and there was a little flea bombing mixed in as well.

i haven't forgotten about yall. promise.

i'm SO glad it's december.november was ugh with a capital u.

the most creative thing i've done lately is decorate for christmas.:)

now that the sickness is gone, i'm trying to get back in the groove.i would like to start with remaking our stockings.stockings i made 5ish years ago.stockings that kind of make me cringe because of unmatched seams & cheap fabric.stockings that my hubby just happens to love.stay tuned for how that will go down. and because i know someone will ask...quilt above = my christmasy synchronized squares quilt.{tutorial is available HERE.}fabric = flurry by kate spain for moda

ps - all pattern orders are being processed.the month of november and the printing error has really set me back.please remain to be patient with me as i play catch up.i promise they'll be in your hands as soon as possible.

03 November 2011

i'm still nursing a market hangover.i've been home since sunday night and just unpacked my suitcases yesterday. and that's just my clothes. market is like a tornado.there one minute, gone the next.so i take notes.notes that i'm still trying to work through.it's a good thing, but i really just wanna nap. HA.

day 1 - schoolhouse/sample spree day:first things first . . .to the two super sweet girls that walked up to me & v early that morning -i am SO sorry if we seemed short with yall.we were trying to figure out where to pick up our badges.and we couldn't find our other friend.we were caught off guard and yall were super sweet to introduce yourself to us.and honestly for the next couple days, v & i would bring yall up in coversation because we felt horrible. we're not jerks. promise. i only had one schoolhouse session in my sights, but i ended up in a few more...valori wells, vanessa christenson, thomas knauer, betz white and lotta jansdotter.

speaking of betz white . . . lookie here at us.so true story: kimberly jolly {owner of fat quarter shop} was all "rachel stand over there with betz so we can get take a picture with you, her & your bag" and all i could think was "but i didn't get the button put on the front pocket yet" i'm proud to report that since this pic, a lovely green button has been added.

*pretend there's a pic here of hundreds of women storming through one door here*sample spree was sample spree. running of the bulls but instead of running from bulls, people are running to fabric :P{i only took one pic at sample spree . . . horrible lighting = horrible picture.}

day 2 - floor is open:

miss barb & miss mary.i just love these sisters.they never, ever fail at making me laugh.i'm eager to make myself one of those dotty bags. and i will. one day.

i spotted lori holt's fabric right away.i just love her style.just look at those pom poms. and those lamps. *swoon*i want need this fabric.

and this fabric *sigh* by my mind's eye.i'm really digging the peachy-ness of this line with those yummy greys.SO pretty. and oh so me.another must have in my book.

ah betz white's booth.just lovely.i promise i would think that even if my quilt wasn't in it. really.{the quilt in the back = my melly}

and this girl - emily herrick - i could just be her bff in real life. for reals.after years of "knowing" each other online, we finally met.instantly we were down like 4 flat tires on a low rider.love this girl. love her fabric. and love that we finally met.word.

and last but not least . . .i am in love with pat bravo & art gallery fabrics.i have loved them from afar for quite some time now, but now it's capital L O V E love.

i mean just look at this wall.i could frame this and hang it in my quilty room. for reals.and i NEED that pillow. like yesterday.

all in all it was a great market.even though market is way bigger than little ol' me, i still had my fair share of representaion.i had a total of 8 quilts among various booths.and that was both refreshing and a little terrifying. lol.

i'm missing a ton of pics, but c'est la vie.i carried my cell phone AND my camera, yet still came home without the pics i needed.

for instance . . .i had so much fun catching up with peeps like julie, john, kate, jana, katy, cara, jen and so many others.but i'm kicking myself for not taking pics!!!all yall rock my socks off btw.

13 October 2011

on top of being raised in the great state of georgia, there was another georgia in my life.my great grandmother.{my daddy's momma's momma.}

her name was georgia, but everyone called her georgie.well not me. she was mal to me. {pronounced mall.}

i used to spend the summer with her.she taught me how to make biscuits from scratch, how to make homemade jam, how to hang laundry out on the line & how to snap beans for supper.

she amazed me with what her hands could do.she was the real deal...the epitome of all things good in my book.

she was also a legit do-it-all-by-hand quilter.i never learned any quilty things from her, but my mawmaw says she did extraordinary things.

my mal is the very reason i picked up quilting.honestly.

i try to remember the quilts in her house.the one i try the hardest to envision is the one that was on her bed.i don't remember the pattern at all, but i think it was made using old clothes or feedsacks.i can't even visualize it clearly, but i can remember seeing blues and reds.and i remember sleeping there with her.{mal & pal had seperate bedrooms.}

i was almost 12 years old when mal died. she was 91 years old.i will never, ever forget her & how she was the female patriarch on that side of the family.

when mal passed away all her quilts were devvied up to be given to all us grandkids.it's heartbreaking to say that my quilt {along with my sibling's quilts} were somehow misplaced before we were old enough to have them.

i wonder frequently what "my" quilt would have been.it's kind of fun not knowing, but what i wouldn't give to have that quilt.or any of her quilts for that matter.

to honor my mal, i wanted to have something quilty named georgia.so georgia the pattern was born.

11 October 2011

i'm curious...do yall store your quilts with the front facing out or do yall hide the fronts???

here's my two cents:mostly our quilts sit {or hang} with their fronts facing out.but then again, depending on the quilt, i might store them with the backing facing out.oh and if i travel with my quilts, i always fold them with the backing facing out.

note: my kids have their own quilts plus we have quilts that we all use & abuse.{livingroom quilts, quilts we play peekaboo with, quilts that build tents, quilts for football, etc.}but we do have some quilts that are my "working girls" that travel to shops & such. and those are "no touchy" for the kiddos. lol.

06 October 2011

the making part:
mix cream of chicken soup, lipton soup mix & water in bowl.
place frozen beef stew meat in crockpot.
pour soup mixture over meat.
cook in crockpot on low for 6 hours.

add the cooked egg noodles to the meat & gravy right in the crockpot.
{makes for easier clean up.}

hork it down.

this meal is a must in the griffith house.
it's one of mr griffith's favorite meals of all time.
the meat is oh, so yummy & tender.
and i just love to sop up my gravy with a piece of buttered bread.
mmmm gravy.

note: you could add mushrooms if you wanna, but we no wanna.
well, mr. griffith might wanna, but mrs. griffith don't.
:P

oh, and this is THE perfect meal when you don't feel like cooking.
OR if you've been quilting all day.
hope y'all enjoy.

disclaimer:

i occasionally accept paid advertising in the form of affiliate links, fabric, notions, patterns &/or books, often in exchange for posting about said product. please know that my opinions are always my own. i only promote items that i would personally buy or already own and recommend.